2024-10-29 00:31:01James tried to process the shock as he faced Victor in the grand, opulent office.
“So… you’re telling me my father, the man who couldn’t afford hospital bills, was secretly a billionaire?” James’s voice was thick with disbelief.
Victor nodded, his gaze steady. “Not just a billionaire, James. He built Maple Group, one of the largest conglomerates in the country. And as of today, it’s all yours.”
James laughed bitterly. “This feels like some kind of joke. Why would he keep this hidden from us?”
Victor’s expression softened. “David was a man of many secrets, but he wanted you to inherit everything once you were ready. Today is that day.”
James shook his head, struggling to understand. “So… my sister? Her medical expenses?”
Victor leaned forward. “Taken care of. A private team is with her as we speak.”
James exhaled slowly, relief flooding him. “Thank you… I mean, thank you for everything. But I just… I don’t understand why my father would let us live like that.”
Victor studied him for a moment. “Maybe he wanted you to grow strong without relying on wealth. Whatever the reason, he trusted you with this.”
James blinked, still trying to absorb the news. “And the money… you said there was an account?”
Victor handed him a sleek tablet. “Check it yourself.”
James entered his details, his breath catching as the balance popped up. “$160 million…”
“Consider it a start,” Victor said calmly.
“A start?” James’s voice was barely a whisper. He shook his head, forcing himself back to the present. “Thank you, Victor. I mean it. This changes… everything.”
Victor gave a slight smile. “It’s your legacy, James. Make the most of it.”
At the hospital, James sat beside Emily’s bed, watching her as she lay asleep, a peaceful contrast to the pain that had haunted her.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t do more before,” he murmured, gently squeezing her hand. “But from now on, everything will be different. I’ll protect you, Emily. I swear.”
He thought back to the accident, his chest tightening with anger. He now knew who was behind it—Tom Mason, the wealthy playboy who’d walked away scot-free.
James clenched his fists. “I won’t let him get away with it,” he muttered. “He’s going to pay for what he did to you.”
The memory of Victor’s words echoed in his mind: Tom Mason might be powerful, but he’s not invincible.
“Not anymore,” James vowed under his breath. He knew what he had to do.
Just then, his phone buzzed. He frowned, surprised to see a voice message from Pamela.
“Hey… I transferred fifty thousand to your account. Don’t ask why. Just… use it for whatever you need,” she said, her tone unexpectedly gentle.
James couldn’t help but smile. Pamela, who always seemed distant, had gone out of her way to help. Maybe there was still some kindness in her after all.
An idea formed. “Time to show some appreciation.”
He found himself at the city’s most luxurious jewelry store, eyes fixed on a dazzling necklace in the display case.
The sales assistant beamed. “This is ‘Eternal Love.’ One of a kind. $800,000.”
Without a second thought, James nodded. “I’ll take it.”
As he arrived home, a black Mercedes parked out front caught his eye. His stomach twisted when he recognized it.
“Tom,” he muttered, a surge of anger rising within him.
Taking a steadying breath, he clenched his fists. It’s time to settle things, once and for all.
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Chapter 114
Safehouse Echo – 5 Days LaterClassified Location, Somewhere in Northern EuropeThe snow outside fell in slow spirals. Gentle. Almost peaceful.Emily sat on the edge of the metal steps overlooking the clearing, arms wrapped tightly around her knees. She hadn’t slept much. Not because she couldn’t—but because she wouldn’t. Sleep meant letting her guard down. And the past few years had taught her that peace rarely came without a price.Behind her, the door opened.James stepped out, quiet as ever. He didn’t say anything at first. Just walked over and stood beside her, hands tucked into his coat pockets.“You been out here all night?” he asked finally.Emily shrugged. “Don’t know. I lost track.”He looked at her, carefully. “He’s stable. Heart rate’s back to baseline. Neural readings are slow, but functional. Victor says that’s a good sign.”Emily nodded, but her eyes didn’t move from the trees.James sat down beside her. “You’re not convinced.”“It’s not that.” Her voice was soft. “I ju
Chapter 113
Blackrock Sublevel 6 – Control GalleryLiam’s hand hovered over the manual purge switch.Below, Ethan and Emily stood side by side—battered, defiant. His control systems were compromised. His top operative was no longer his.And for the first time in years, Liam was improvising.“You’re both already dead,” he said through the intercom. “You just haven’t hit the floor yet.”Emily’s eyes locked onto his. “You built this place on pain. You won’t leave it standing.”Liam sneered, tapping a code into the panel. “I’ll bury it with you in it.”Behind them, a blast door slammed shut—trapping them in the chamber. Gas hissed from hidden vents.Ethan stumbled back, eyes burning. “Neuro-gas. Same compound they used at Site 12.”“Then we shut it down,” Emily said, already moving toward the manual override on the wall.Her hands flew over the panel, but the system was encrypted. Liam’s voice came again—cold, amused.“The only thing you’ll override is your last breath.”Then—BANG.A bullet cracked
Chapter 112
Ghost CodeThe air inside the transport hummed with tension.Emily sat across from James, her hands clasped tightly between her knees. The hum of the VTOL engines was loud, but it couldn’t drown out the sound of her heartbeat. Every second that passed brought them closer to Blackrock.Closer to Liam.Closer to the truth.Closer to the chance of losing Ethan all over again.Marissa sat in silence, cuffed to the bench beside Victor. Her face was pale, but her eyes never stopped moving — scanning, calculating.“Once we breach,” James said, “you stick to me. No heroics.”Emily didn’t answer.He leaned closer. “You still think you can bring him back?”She looked up. “I know I can.”Victor snorted quietly. “You’re betting your life on a ghost.”Emily didn’t blink. “No. I’m betting it on my brother.”⸻Blackrock DamSublevel 6The facility’s silence was deceptive. Clean corridors. Gleaming lights. Every inch designed to feel sterile — to erase any trace of the people broken within its walls.
Chapter 111
The lights flickered as the metal doors hissed open.Emily stood frozen at the sight of him.Ethan.But not the brother she remembered—the one who teased her about her cooking, who used to hum old rock songs while fixing the engine on their dad’s truck. This Ethan moved like a shadow. Cold. Precise.His eyes scanned the room with mechanical calculation. When they landed on her, something flickered—but then vanished like mist under sunlight.“Emily Shaw,” he said. Voice monotone. “Target confirmed.”“No—Ethan, it’s me. It’s Em.”She took a shaky step forward. He didn’t move.“I remember the fire,” she said, heart pounding. “Valkyrie base. You told me to run. You covered me with your coat, remember? You burned your arm so I could get out.”His hand twitched.For a second—just a second—his lips parted, confused. But then a sharp, unseen signal surged through him. He straightened like a soldier.“You are a variable,” he said. “You must be neutralized.”She barely dodged the first strike.
Chapter 110
Emergency lights bathed the courtyard in a crimson hue as sirens pierced the night. Faculty scrambled through corridors, ushering students out of their dormitories. Within five minutes of Nash’s call, the school was nearly empty—except for one figure.Emily.She stood in the library’s upper gallery, staring out the window at the chaos unfolding below. Her breath was steady, her hands clenched. She knew Liam was making his move. And she wasn’t going to run.Maple HQ – Tactical Bay – 1:07 AM“We have motion sensors tripped on the Academy’s west perimeter,” Damien reported. “Evacuation’s in progress. No casualties—yet.”Victor’s eyes locked with James’s. “You think he’s bluffing?”James shook his head. “Liam doesn’t bluff. He performs.”Pamela rushed in, phone to her ear. “Emily’s not answering. She’s not on the evac list.”James’s expression hardened. “She stayed behind.”“Why would she—”“Because she wants to end it.”James grabbed his jacket and turned to Victor. “Prep the team. We go
Chapter 109
Liam’s MistakeLocation: Ravencliff – Abandoned Rail YardTime: 9:12 PMThe rain came down hard, slicing through the dark like glass. James stood at the edge of the old Ravencliff rail yard, hidden beneath the overhang of a rusted structure. His breath misted in the cold air, but his mind burned—sharp, focused.This was Liam’s last known meeting point. According to intel extracted from the captured intruder—now rotting in a hidden cell beneath Maple HQ—Liam was scheduled to meet one of his European allies here.Victor’s voice crackled through James’s earpiece.“North tunnel’s clear. No sign of movement.”“Copy,” James replied. “Damien?”“Got eyes on the east. There’s someone approaching.” A beat. “Female. Tall. Blonde. Marissa Vane.”James’s jaw clenched.Time to move.Platform 3 – 9:17 PMMarissa Vane stood beneath a cracked canopy, her designer heels out of place against the gravel and rust. She lit a cigarette, hands trembling slightly. Her eyes scanned the dark. No Liam.Then Jame
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